Joined: October 20th, 2004, 4:16 pmPosts: 10408Location: Where ever I'm at now

Re: Season is Over. Time to Fire the Special Teams Coach

Pablo wrote:

Zack still hasn't learned to shut his mouth yet?

Why should he? At least the kid played with passion and heart, which is something this current roster is lacking for most of four games.

Nothing he said seems to be untrue.

_________________I will not put on blinders when it comes to our QBs performances.

October 2nd, 2012, 3:57 pm

njroar

Team MVP

Joined: September 25th, 2007, 3:20 amPosts: 3273

Re: Season is Over. Time to Fire the Special Teams Coach

m2karateman wrote:

Pablo wrote:

Zack still hasn't learned to shut his mouth yet?

Why should he? At least the kid played with passion and heart, which is something this current roster is lacking for most of four games.

Nothing he said seems to be untrue.

I agree, he said what needed to be said. The question is how the players respond.

The only one I saw that went on a positive diatribe today was Kassim Osgood. He had a lot of good things to say.

October 2nd, 2012, 4:06 pm

devildog

Junior Varsity

Joined: November 26th, 2005, 11:47 amPosts: 186Location: New Albany, IN

Re: Season is Over. Time to Fire the Special Teams Coach

rao wrote:

This problem is more than just the ST coach, it's the coaching in general. The entire team has completely thrown out any type of tackling fundamentals and add to that the offense's continued drops. It shows either a lack of discipline on this staff or just plain incompetence for not seeing the problems. The whole staff needs an attitude adjustment or we need a whole new staff.

Sure are a bunch of people earning a pile of money pretending to be good NFL coaches and players. I guess we are back to being the worst team in the league again. What more is there to say? Expect nothing, and when you get a little, perhaps it will be appreciated.

_________________I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man that rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then question the manner in which I provide it.

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions' special teams unit given up four touchdowns over in two recent games, and coordinator Danny Crossman addressed the media this morning.

Here is the entire transcript of that conversation:

Q: Is it hard to prepare when your team doesn't have live practices?A: Whether things are going good or bad, that's just how you have to practice. Whether it's high school, college, or the NFL. The key is as a coach, my responsibility is to find a way to get techniques taught, get fundamentals taught when you can't do it live. It's just the way it is. It's that way for every team. I just got to do a better good of getting that done with the guys we have.

Q: Brian Billick said your guys do have that "want to" on special teams. Do you agree?A: I don't think that's a problem. That's what Brian Billick says. I don't concern myself with what other people say. We got our guys. It is my job to get them to play good. End of story. To find ways to help our team to win games. This game is only fun if you win. It doesn't matter about anything else. As a coach, your only job is to help win games. End of story.

Q: Has there been a common thread over the past two games?A: There's not a common thread. The common thread is I have to do a better job. Whatever the breakdowns are, it's my responsibility to get that stuff fixed. That's what we're working on. That's what we will get done.

Q: Are the problems schematic or execution?A: It's just a problem. It's my problem as the coach. My name is on it. I will get it corrected.

Q: What do you think about people calling for your job?A; I don't pay any attention to any of that stuff. Sorry. I don't read you guys' stuff. I don't pay any attention to it. My job is for the Detroit Lions is to do the best job I can to win games. That's the National Football League. That's professional sports. You look back over the years, and there's always people calling for people's heads. That's just the way it is. That's what we signed up for. I don't have a problem with that.

Q: Does that mean you need personnel changes and should mix up some guys?A: I know that I have to get it done, whether it's personnel, whether it's what we're doing, how we're doing it, but it's all how I am getting it taught. I'm a teacher. If you're a teacher and half the kids are flunking your exams, you got to find a way to teach the kids better. They're your kids. Teach them better. Find a way to get it done, and that's what I'm going to do.

Q: Using that example, how much heat is on you from the principal (Jim Schwartz)?A: There's no heat. The heat is to win games. The heat is outside. We're going to get it done. End of story. I don't worry about anything else. I worry about finding ways to win games. Whatever we have to do to win games. That's what our job is.

Q: Have you changed your depth chart this week?A: I'm not talking about what we're doing. We're having a good week of practice. We're getting ready for Philadelphia, and that's what our whole focus is. That's the beautiful thing about the National Football League, whether you do good, whether you do bad, they don't care. There's another one coming up and that's what we're preparing for.

Q: Jason Hanson called the coverage garbage and felt it was a failure to be forced to bloop kick. Do you agree with that?A: That's Jason Hanson's opinion. He's entitled to whatever opinion he has. We're working to get (pause) ... and whatever we have to do to win games, that's all we're going to do. That's what everybody does. Every coach. Every team. Find a way to win games because that's what we're here for.

Q: Were those bloop kicks your call or Jim's call?A: That was our call. That was the Detroit Lions' call.

Q: What kind of added emphasis did you put on coverage after the Titans game? Did you see the same errors in the Titans or Vikings game?A: Things were different. Again, I know this sounds (pause) ... Whatever we do, we got to find ways to win games. You can talk scheme all you want. You can talk players all you want. Everything goes together. You got to get everybody playing together, doing the right things to be successful. It doesn't matter what phase of the game it is. It doesn't matter what sport it is, and as the coach, it's my job to get that right. End of story.

Q: Stefan Logan said he knows people will talk about this unit, but you're his coach. What does it mean to you that players still have faith in what you're doing?A: Again, whatever the players say, that is their opinion. Whether it's good, whether it's bad. They're human beings. They're grown men. They can feel what they want. I have great confidence in my ability. I have great confidence in our players. My job is to get them to play good as a group, to execute what we're doing, whatever that may be. Whatever scheme, whatever plan, and find ways to win games.

Q: Are you saying it falls on you because you can't go out and get better players?A: It doesn't matter to me who the players are. Every year, you got different players. In the kicking game, that's how it normally is. Whether you're having success, or whether you're not having success, your guys are your guys. We're going to play with them, we're going to get them right, and the only way to do that is for me to find a way to reach every one of the guys that are involved and find a way to get them to click so we put ourselves in position to win games.

Q:Has there ever been a player you asked to play special teams that said no?A: No.

Q: How many missed tackles did you count on that punt return against Minnesota?A: Several. Several.

Q: The Vikings said they were expecting that first kickoff to be where it was. Are you worried you're being too predictable?A: No. Every play designed, if you ask every coach, every play you design is because of something you think is going to work. They ran that same return against us a year ago and got to the 12-yard line. Every play the offense draws up, you think you have a chance to make a play. That's why you draw it up. Every defense you run, you run it because you think you have a chance to make a play. That's what you do from 5 o'clock in the morning to midnight every night. Find ways to think you give yourself an advantage. It comes down to coach coaching guys up and guys going and making plays. That's the name of the game.

Q: Did the 2002 Michigan State season prepare you for this adversity?A: When you're in this business, there's always adversity. The good things, the bad things, they all come and they go. It's week-to-week in this business. I don't concern myself with any of that. All I know is I got to get them better. We got to get better as a team. We got to get better as a group. I got to get better as a coach. If we can do that, hopefully we have a chance to be successful.

Q: How important is chemistry on each unit? Can you keep the same guys together week-to-week?A: You'd like to. It could be a great thing when you're able to have that continuity. You know you're going to have the same group play in the same spot. I don't care what position you're talking about. You can go ask the offensive coordinator, or the offensive line coach, or the defensive coordinator, would they love to have the same 11 guys at the same spot every week? Yeah. But the reality is, it doesn't always work that way. Would it be nice? Yeah. But we're going to play with who got. We're going to get them better, and we're going to have some success.

Q: Do you look forward to your guys doing your job, helping the team win, and going back into anonymity?A: Love anonymity. Love it. That's what I tell my kids all the time. They say, "Daddy, we don't ever see you on TV." That's a good thing. You don't want to see that. I chose this. I love it. Good, bad, it's what I do. The bottom line is, and I don't care about any of this stuff. I told some people this. All my job is, however it works out, is to help the team win. I'm telling you, it ain't no fun unless you win. Even then, it's not always fun, but you got to find ways to win. That's the only thing you're judged on. The head coach on this team. Jim Schwartz, he's the only won that has it at the end of his name. Danny Crossman is not 1-3. I'm part of that, but Jim Schwartz has to live with that 1-3. We got to find ways to win games.

Q: Does your task get harder when you're facing Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson and Chicago's Devin Hester in back-to-back weeks?A: It's the NFL. My task is hard every week. There's good players. There's great players. There's good players. They're all in the National Football League for a reason. Does it get easier? No, but that's the NFL. That's why it's such a popular deal. It's fun.

Q:Is part of your difficulty is you are only judged on a small amount of plays?A: That's the nature of the beast. It's one-and-done. Is there more emphasis on it? I don't know. Is there more highlight on it? I don't know. I know this. Every play, you got to get the most out of that play. It doesn't matter if you're offense, defense, special teams. There's less plays, so there's probably more highlight on it, because if something goes good, or something goes bad, it's magnified because it is one-and-done. It's all the same They all count the same. All points count the same.

Q: You say your job is to help the team win, but the special teams coverage in the last game is why you lost. The defense only allowed six points. How much does it bother you that your guys are factoring into losses?A: That's me, and I don't talk about me. My job is to find a way for good things to happen so we win games. Do people talk about bad things after a loss? It's just not as magnified. You said it. It comes down to winning or losing. That's what we have to do. Find ways to win games.

Q: Is using more starters on special teams an option at all?A: That's personnel. I'm not going to talk about personnel.

Q: Do you have a plan in place or are you still searching?A: We always have a plan. We're always working toward that plan. We'll find out in a week when we get to go out and perform and see where we're at, and that's the beautiful thing about this game.

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions' special teams unit given up four touchdowns over in two recent games, and coordinator Danny Crossman addressed the media this morning.

Here is the entire transcript of that conversation:

Q: Is it hard to prepare when your team doesn't have live practices?A: Whether things are going good or bad, that's just how you have to practice. Whether it's high school, college, or the NFL. The key is as a coach, my responsibility is to find a way to get techniques taught, get fundamentals taught when you can't do it live. It's just the way it is. It's that way for every team. I just got to do a better good of getting that done with the guys we have.

Q: Brian Billick said your guys do have that "want to" on special teams. Do you agree?A: I don't think that's a problem. That's what Brian Billick says. I don't concern myself with what other people say. We got our guys. It is my job to get them to play good. End of story. To find ways to help our team to win games. This game is only fun if you win. It doesn't matter about anything else. As a coach, your only job is to help win games. End of story.

Q: Has there been a common thread over the past two games?A: There's not a common thread. The common thread is I have to do a better job. Whatever the breakdowns are, it's my responsibility to get that stuff fixed. That's what we're working on. That's what we will get done.

Q: Are the problems schematic or execution?A: It's just a problem. It's my problem as the coach. My name is on it. I will get it corrected.

Q: What do you think about people calling for your job?A; I don't pay any attention to any of that stuff. Sorry. I don't read you guys' stuff. I don't pay any attention to it. My job is for the Detroit Lions is to do the best job I can to win games. That's the National Football League. That's professional sports. You look back over the years, and there's always people calling for people's heads. That's just the way it is. That's what we signed up for. I don't have a problem with that.

Q: Does that mean you need personnel changes and should mix up some guys?A: I know that I have to get it done, whether it's personnel, whether it's what we're doing, how we're doing it, but it's all how I am getting it taught. I'm a teacher. If you're a teacher and half the kids are flunking your exams, you got to find a way to teach the kids better. They're your kids. Teach them better. Find a way to get it done, and that's what I'm going to do.

Q: Using that example, how much heat is on you from the principal (Jim Schwartz)?A: There's no heat. The heat is to win games. The heat is outside. We're going to get it done. End of story. I don't worry about anything else. I worry about finding ways to win games. Whatever we have to do to win games. That's what our job is.

Q: Have you changed your depth chart this week?A: I'm not talking about what we're doing. We're having a good week of practice. We're getting ready for Philadelphia, and that's what our whole focus is. That's the beautiful thing about the National Football League, whether you do good, whether you do bad, they don't care. There's another one coming up and that's what we're preparing for.

Q: Jason Hanson called the coverage garbage and felt it was a failure to be forced to bloop kick. Do you agree with that?A: That's Jason Hanson's opinion. He's entitled to whatever opinion he has. We're working to get (pause) ... and whatever we have to do to win games, that's all we're going to do. That's what everybody does. Every coach. Every team. Find a way to win games because that's what we're here for.

Q: Were those bloop kicks your call or Jim's call?A: That was our call. That was the Detroit Lions' call.

Q: What kind of added emphasis did you put on coverage after the Titans game? Did you see the same errors in the Titans or Vikings game?A: Things were different. Again, I know this sounds (pause) ... Whatever we do, we got to find ways to win games. You can talk scheme all you want. You can talk players all you want. Everything goes together. You got to get everybody playing together, doing the right things to be successful. It doesn't matter what phase of the game it is. It doesn't matter what sport it is, and as the coach, it's my job to get that right. End of story.

Q: Stefan Logan said he knows people will talk about this unit, but you're his coach. What does it mean to you that players still have faith in what you're doing?A: Again, whatever the players say, that is their opinion. Whether it's good, whether it's bad. They're human beings. They're grown men. They can feel what they want. I have great confidence in my ability. I have great confidence in our players. My job is to get them to play good as a group, to execute what we're doing, whatever that may be. Whatever scheme, whatever plan, and find ways to win games.

Q: Are you saying it falls on you because you can't go out and get better players?A: It doesn't matter to me who the players are. Every year, you got different players. In the kicking game, that's how it normally is. Whether you're having success, or whether you're not having success, your guys are your guys. We're going to play with them, we're going to get them right, and the only way to do that is for me to find a way to reach every one of the guys that are involved and find a way to get them to click so we put ourselves in position to win games.

Q:Has there ever been a player you asked to play special teams that said no?A: No.

Q: How many missed tackles did you count on that punt return against Minnesota?A: Several. Several.

Q: The Vikings said they were expecting that first kickoff to be where it was. Are you worried you're being too predictable?A: No. Every play designed, if you ask every coach, every play you design is because of something you think is going to work. They ran that same return against us a year ago and got to the 12-yard line. Every play the offense draws up, you think you have a chance to make a play. That's why you draw it up. Every defense you run, you run it because you think you have a chance to make a play. That's what you do from 5 o'clock in the morning to midnight every night. Find ways to think you give yourself an advantage. It comes down to coach coaching guys up and guys going and making plays. That's the name of the game.

Q: Did the 2002 Michigan State season prepare you for this adversity?A: When you're in this business, there's always adversity. The good things, the bad things, they all come and they go. It's week-to-week in this business. I don't concern myself with any of that. All I know is I got to get them better. We got to get better as a team. We got to get better as a group. I got to get better as a coach. If we can do that, hopefully we have a chance to be successful.

Q: How important is chemistry on each unit? Can you keep the same guys together week-to-week?A: You'd like to. It could be a great thing when you're able to have that continuity. You know you're going to have the same group play in the same spot. I don't care what position you're talking about. You can go ask the offensive coordinator, or the offensive line coach, or the defensive coordinator, would they love to have the same 11 guys at the same spot every week? Yeah. But the reality is, it doesn't always work that way. Would it be nice? Yeah. But we're going to play with who got. We're going to get them better, and we're going to have some success.

Q: Do you look forward to your guys doing your job, helping the team win, and going back into anonymity?A: Love anonymity. Love it. That's what I tell my kids all the time. They say, "Daddy, we don't ever see you on TV." That's a good thing. You don't want to see that. I chose this. I love it. Good, bad, it's what I do. The bottom line is, and I don't care about any of this stuff. I told some people this. All my job is, however it works out, is to help the team win. I'm telling you, it ain't no fun unless you win. Even then, it's not always fun, but you got to find ways to win. That's the only thing you're judged on. The head coach on this team. Jim Schwartz, he's the only won that has it at the end of his name. Danny Crossman is not 1-3. I'm part of that, but Jim Schwartz has to live with that 1-3. We got to find ways to win games.

Q: Does your task get harder when you're facing Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson and Chicago's Devin Hester in back-to-back weeks?A: It's the NFL. My task is hard every week. There's good players. There's great players. There's good players. They're all in the National Football League for a reason. Does it get easier? No, but that's the NFL. That's why it's such a popular deal. It's fun.

Q:Is part of your difficulty is you are only judged on a small amount of plays?A: That's the nature of the beast. It's one-and-done. Is there more emphasis on it? I don't know. Is there more highlight on it? I don't know. I know this. Every play, you got to get the most out of that play. It doesn't matter if you're offense, defense, special teams. There's less plays, so there's probably more highlight on it, because if something goes good, or something goes bad, it's magnified because it is one-and-done. It's all the same They all count the same. All points count the same.

Q: You say your job is to help the team win, but the special teams coverage in the last game is why you lost. The defense only allowed six points. How much does it bother you that your guys are factoring into losses?A: That's me, and I don't talk about me. My job is to find a way for good things to happen so we win games. Do people talk about bad things after a loss? It's just not as magnified. You said it. It comes down to winning or losing. That's what we have to do. Find ways to win games.

Q: Is using more starters on special teams an option at all?A: That's personnel. I'm not going to talk about personnel.

Q: Do you have a plan in place or are you still searching?A: We always have a plan. We're always working toward that plan. We'll find out in a week when we get to go out and perform and see where we're at, and that's the beautiful thing about this game.

I read as much as I could stomach. All I heard while reading? YADDA YADDA YADDA.

October 4th, 2012, 8:12 pm

Footsoldier32

5th Round Pick - Traded

Joined: February 28th, 2007, 12:13 pmPosts: 1019

Re: Season is Over. Time to Fire the Special Teams Coach

Dude did a lot of diverting and didn't really explain anything. Crappy article but not by fault of the writer. Danny just kind of came off as stupid in that thing. He couldn't have been more vague and he just did not say anything worthwhile. COOL

_________________If you think education is tough, try being stoopid.

October 4th, 2012, 8:22 pm

DJ-B

Pro Bowl Player

Joined: April 5th, 2007, 5:51 pmPosts: 2578

Re: Season is Over. Time to Fire the Special Teams Coach

regularjoe12 wrote:

How many times did he say "I'll get em better, end of story"? I like his accountability but I'm sorry he comes off as lost and doesn't shed any light on whether or not he even has a clue...

I have a baaaad feeling about this....

Yep. I was embarrased as a fan just reading that interview.

Did it remind anyone else of Marinellis interviews where we discussed pad level and fundamentals without ever actually talking about what was going wrong?

October 5th, 2012, 3:07 am

TheRealWags

Megatron

Joined: December 31st, 2004, 9:55 amPosts: 12534

Re: Season is Over. Time to Fire the Special Teams Coach

DJ-B wrote:

regularjoe12 wrote:

How many times did he say "I'll get em better, end of story"? I like his accountability but I'm sorry he comes off as lost and doesn't shed any light on whether or not he even has a clue...

I have a baaaad feeling about this....

Yep. I was embarrased as a fan just reading that interview.

Did it remind anyone else of Marinellis interviews where we discussed pad level and fundamentals without ever actually talking about what was going wrong?

Sadly, yes it reminds me way too much of the previous regime

_________________

Quote:

Detroit vs. EverybodyClowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right....

October 5th, 2012, 9:28 am

DJ-B

Pro Bowl Player

Joined: April 5th, 2007, 5:51 pmPosts: 2578

Re: Season is Over. Time to Fire the Special Teams Coach

The last 4 interview articles I read all make me feel like that, and then even the article about Staff to CJ getting "gameplanned for" so of course it takes him away is ridiculous.

Uh , wghat has every topflight receiver of the past 20 years dealt with. People doubleteam Fitzgerald, they doubleteam Andre Johnson, they doubleteam all teams top #1 receivers if they are the #1 option, and those guys still catch touchdowns and balls. Maybe not 1600 yds + 16tds, but they do.

It was the lamest excuse in the book. Ill look for the article. I saw it on my phone on ESPN Mobile, but cant find it on ESPN right now.

October 5th, 2012, 10:34 am

Ferris

Pro Bowl Player

Joined: April 19th, 2005, 2:10 pmPosts: 2478Location: Michigan

Re: Season is Over. Time to Fire the Special Teams Coach

Not what I expected in the first four games. I'm still reserving judgement. I guess we will all know what we need to know after the Monday night game with Chicago. If we are 1 - 5, well let's start talking about who to draft. If we are 3 -3 , we can hold off on the draft talks for another week ...

I'm hoping Staff get's this two deep zone look thing figured out. Cuz from what I saw from his back up, Hill has a better grasp of how to beat it.

Joined: October 20th, 2004, 4:16 pmPosts: 10408Location: Where ever I'm at now

Re: Season is Over. Time to Fire the Special Teams Coach

Cookie cutter answers from a coach not used to be grilled by the media. Obviously the Lions PR people got a hold of him and prepped him for that interview.

Fact is, if what the Vikings said was true, Crossman FAILED miserably. It wasn't just a matter of the Lions players not doing their jobs, it was a matter of Crossman keeping the same exact look after that coverage failed him in Tennessee. That's inexcusable, in my book. Relying on a cover scheme that A) has the propensity to open an entire side of the field, and B) relies on a sixth round rookie to make the play or no one does, is absolutely a BAD plan.

Get new guys, get a new scheme, or find a new coach. Thhose are the only options available. Doing all three may be the true answer.

_________________I will not put on blinders when it comes to our QBs performances.

October 5th, 2012, 1:03 pm

Growler

Butkus Award Winner

Joined: April 8th, 2010, 3:24 pmPosts: 589

Re: Season is Over. Time to Fire the Special Teams Coach

The way this team has looked so far, I can't see them getting past either the Eagles or the Bears, especially on the road. If you can't beat the Vikings at home, how the heck could you beat either of those two better teams on the road unless you luck out and they self-destruct?